Seanad debates

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Adjournment Matters

Schools Building Projects

4:05 pm

Photo of Ciarán CannonCiarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I thank the Senator for raising the issue relating to Clifden community school and welcome the opportunity to clarify the current position on the new school building project for Clifden.

Clifden community school is the only second level school in the Clifden post-primary feeder area. There are 14 primary schools in the feeder area. The enrolments at primary level have remained stable, with 656 pupils in 2001-02 and 654 pupils in 2010-11. The Department's projected enrolments show a slight decrease over the coming years, with a projected figure of 627 primary level pupils in 2017.

The design of the proposed new school building for Clifden community school has been developed based on a long-term projected enrolment of 425 pupils. The current enrolment is just over 400 pupils and enrolment levels have been relatively stable in recent years. Full planning permission for the new school was granted in February 2011. The school's design team have recently submitted the stage 2(b) reports that include the detailed design of the school and tender documents. The submission is under review by the Department.

In view of the need to ensure that every child has access to a school place, the delivery of major school projects to meet the demographic demands nationally will be the main focus for capital investment in schools over those years. Total school enrolments are expected to grow by around 70,000 students between now and 2018 - by over 45,000 at primary level and 25,000 at post-primary. Second level enrolment is expected to continue to rise until at least 2024.

Recent birth rate data published by the CSO show that there were nearly 20,000 births registered in the first quarter of 2011, the highest number of births registered in a quarter since the series began in 1960. It is vital that the schooling system be prepared to cope with these increasing numbers. Therefore, the Government's priority is now to focus on major school projects to meet these demographic demands. In order to meet the needs of our growing population of schoolgoing children, the Department must establish new schools in addition to extending or replacing a number of existing schools in areas where demographic growth has been identified. The delivery of these new schools, together with extension projects to meet future demand, will be the main focus for the Department's capital budget for the coming years. In March 2012, the Minister, Deputy Quinn, announced a five-year construction programme as part of a ¤2 billion capital investment programme, which outlined all the major school building projects at primary and post-primary levels which had been scheduled to commence construction over the timeframe. The project announced will account for the bulk of the capital funding available each year from 2012 to 2016. In that context, it was not possible to advance all applications for capital funding concurrently.

All other schools building projects within the architectural planning process, including the project for Clifden community school, will continue to be advanced incrementally in the context of the funding available. However, in light of current competing demands on the Department's capital budget, it is not possible at this time to progress the project at Clifden community school to tender and construction stages. I understand the Minister attended a meeting during his summer holiday period in Clifden with members of CSI Clifden and the board of management. Officials of the planning and building unit in the Department held a meeting last July with a delegation from the patron body and the board of management in which the current position was fully explained to the delegation. I thank the Senator for allowing me the opportunity to outline the position as it stands.

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